Cookies, biscuits, pies, turnovers, and all baked foods of similar category contain major ingredients, flour, butter/margarine/shortenings, and sugar. Generally speaking, margarine and shortenings are preferred since they help maintain the shape of baked foods such as cookies. Cookies made from shortenings stay crisper and are less brittle than ones using butter. Moreover, the aroma of baked foods will not be too “buttery”, which is how most consumers prefer it. Deep-fried or pan-fried foods e.g. fried chicken, French fries, fried/baked snacks which appear dry on the outer surface and non-oily to the touch should be viewed with suspicion for using shortenings in the recipes unless they have been prepared by experienced chefs or bakers.